In the United States alone, there are more than 500 dolphins and members of the dolphin family held in captivity; thousands also died in captivity. Today, dolphins are kept in captivity in amusement parks, “Swim with the Dolphins” programs, casinos, and sometimes even shopping malls. Many people enjoy watching them perform in shows or even interacting with them at water parks, but most people do not understand the trauma dolphins experience during capture and transportation, nor the often cruel conditions in which they are kept. The capture process and the conditions in which the dolphins are kept are cruel and unnatural. They can be stopped by raising public awareness of the significant cost of this industry to the health and lives of dolphin species and by convincing the public not to purchase tickets. to the different events in which captive dolphins are involved. The process of capturing and transporting dolphins into captivity is brutal and harsh and can result in many deaths of these creatures. Before the passage of the MMPA, approximately 1,133 dolphins had been captured in U.S. waters. The most common process of capturing dolphins is called “seine capture.” During this capture process, groups of dolphins are chased by small, speedy boats, then rounded up and encircled by a net. Hunting and catching dolphins in nets is extremely stressful and has led to many situations where accidents have occurred, including entanglement in nets and sometimes even death. This whole process is so traumatic that mortality rates for dolphin species, particularly wild-caught species of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), increased sixfold in the first five days...... middle paper... released only a few years ago. The lack of natural behaviors among dolphins in captive facilities is one of the many reasons why keeping these creatures in captivity is inhumane. Dolphins have been on earth for thousands of years. They evolved to live and thrive in their wild ocean habitats, not in captivity. For all marine mammals in captivity, especially dolphins, many are captured too young to learn to socialize and form relationships. Captivity inhibits socialization and learned behavioral skills, which are essential for dolphins' natural development. Their natural activity levels, social relationships and interactions, hunting behaviors, and even the texture of dolphins' natural habitats are all compromised in captivity. Dolphins are also naturally predators. They cannot exercise this part of their behavioral repertoire when living in captivity.